Johor Targets European Tourists

Johor Women Development and Tourism Executive Committee chairman Liow Cai Tung (in red) with the different state tourism Excos during a meeting with ECTAA and MATTA at the world’s leading travel trade show ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin), Germany

Johor will be going all out to pull in tourists from Europe who have a penchant for sandy beaches, delicious food and unique local culture – all of which the southern state is rich in.

Johor Women Development and Tourism Executive Committee chairman Liow Cai Tung said Johor has massive potential and existing attractions to fulfill the needs of European tourists. The European market has a huge interest in food, beaches and culture, which makes Johor the choice destination for them.

“We have beautiful islands off the Mersing coast, and Johor Bahru was named one of the top destinations for local food by Booking.com, we have a rich sultanate history and culture which definitely makes Johor an attractive destination.

“Due to Johor’s geographical and strategic location, we want to target European tourists who travel to Singapore by attracting them here to extend their stay in Johor,” said Liow.

Liow was part of the Malaysian entourage at the world’s leading travel trade show ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin) held last month in Germany.

Liow also said that the state will work closely with Malaysia Association of Travel Agents (MATTA) on tapping tourists who travel to Singapore, adding that it would be part of the state’s efforts for the Visit Johor 2020 campaign.

She added that in 2018, Johor recorded 15.8 million visitor arrivals compared to 14.4 million in 2017, where Singapore remains the top visiting country followed by Indonesia and China.